Millennial Shadows
by KA-336
Summary: Before Ren Amamiya, before Yu Narukami, before Minato Arisato, there was... Yugi Mutou. The original Yu-Gi-Oh! series returns to the scene in a reimagined Persona themed story! Featuring new dungeons, new experiences, and an altogether new take on Duel Monsters and the role it takes within the Shadow Realm. It's the same story but different! Find out what major changes are here!
1. Chapter 1

**Pieces of the Puzzle**

_He couldn't hear. He couldn't see. All he had was a vague feeling that he was standing. Waiting. In the darkness._

_"Where am I,"_ _he tried to say. And yet his voice didn't make a sound. He frowned and tried again. "Hello?"_

_There was no voice and there was no answer. __He didn't know how long he lingered in the darkness. Seconds stretched into minutes and minutes became hours. He shuffled his feet almost impatiently but dared not tred forward in fear of tripping over something. Longer he waited still._

_Finally, a small flutter reached his ears. It was quick and light, almost like a butterfly. Then a soft blue glow breached the darkness and danced towards him. A small, soundless start left his lips. It_ was _a butterfly._

_'Only one of you is awake...'_

_His eyes widened as he heard the butterfly speak. Not in actual words or sounds but he could feel it's words inside his mind. The voice felt soft and gentle. Warm, even._

_'A great evil awaits, aching to use the shadows to overthrow the world. If you are hearing my voice, then you still have a chance. Awaken the other and let light be your salvation.'_

* * *

Hands slammed down on Yugi's desk. The teenager jolted violently, his amethyst eyes flying open as he recoiled backwards in his chair. For a brief moment, his mind was entirely blank as it tried to process the threat. It wouldn't have been the first time he had been bullied and it certainly wasn't going to be his last.

His gaze had instead caught sight of his English teacher, Chono. She was a beautiful teacher but also very cruel. Her favored name by the student populace was _The Wicked Witch of Expulsion._ Her title alone made it known what torment she favored in. Beauty often hid ugly things.

"Sleeping in class_, _you little twerp?"

Ms. Chono's blue-gray eyes were upturned as she gave him a sweet, closed-eyed smile that did little to match her next words. "Keep this up and I'll see about the principal expelling you."

Yugi's face heated up as he looked down at the desk in search of facing anywhere but her. "S-sorry, sensei..."

This was probably the only class he could get reprimanded in and not have any of the students laugh at him. It was a testament of how much they all _loathed _their teacher, for even Jonouchi and Honda, two bullies in Yugi's grade, were silent and glaring. Ms. Chono's sweet tone was given an extra layer of sugar as she leaned forward on the desk, to which Yugi couldn't help but pull away from.

"Please, _do _let it happen again."

Then the Wicked Witch was gone. She went striding back up to the chalk board and turned around with a sweep of her bright red hair. "Now, to catch _Mutou _up to speed, English has a few consonants that they use that we do not..."

Yugi found himself naturally tuning her out as he tried focusing on the dream he had before she had waken him up. Most of the details escaped him. All he could recall was darkness and... a butterfly? Something in his heart told him that the dream was really important.

A few classes later and school was over. Yugi took the chance to bolt towards the door before Jonouchi could catch him. He shrugged his backpack over his shoulders as he used his short height as an advantage to weave through the overcrowded hallways. Once he was out of the building, Yugi released a huge sigh of relief and slowed to his normal gait. He had been pretty good at avoiding his bullies as of late and even if he couldn't avoid them, Anzu being there usually made them back off. Then she would tell him to report them so the school would do something about it.

Yugi just couldn't. Honda and Jonouchi probably had a reason behind all of their nastiness, even if he doubted it at times. He didn't want either of them suspended or expelled but he also couldn't fight back or stand up for himself. Yugi was weak and he knew it... He wanted to change, truly, but he didn't have the courage to even try.

He pulled out of his thoughts when the Kame Game shop and home came into sight. Yugi hadn't realized how absorbed in his thoughts he was until then. He smiled softly to himself. At least his feet knew where to take him.

The bell chimed as he pushed the door open. Sugoroku, his grandfather, rose up from behind the desk with a game box in his hands

"Oh, Yugi." The elderly man smiled. "Welcome home."

"Hi, grandpa." Yugi adjusted his bag as he approached the counter. "Is mom home?"

"She went out to get some groceries. Are you going to go get started on the Millennium Puzzle?"

Yugi had bounded towards the stairs with purpose until Sugoroku asked. Then he paused to respond with a quick, "Yeah," already having an idea on what his grandpa might say.

"I'm telling you, that Puzzle is cursed Yugi. Who knows how many other people had died trying to solve it. And you must be _really _intelligent to try."

"I know, grandpa. You've already told me hundreds of times." Shaking his head, Yugi kept hurrying up the stairs as he felt Sugoroku's eyes follow him up.

He threw his bag on the bed, ignoring the wooden _clunk _as a couple of his games collided with each other. Nothing in his bag was breakable, which was way he bothered taking them to school. Instead, his purple gaze had drifted towards his study desk where a shiny, golden box sat proudly on it's surface. Hieroglyphics were decorated on all six sides while the front of the box had what Sugoroku called the _Eye of Wadjet_*.

What was _inside _the box was what Yugi had taken to as his treasure. He approached the desk and ran his fingers over the container's carvings with admiration. Eight years he have had this and yet he still couldn't help but marvel it's historic beauty. This box had survived _3,000_ years, according to Sugoroku.

He gently pried the lid off of the box and stared at the inside. Golden pieces were littered within, sparkling mystically from the rays of sun that entered through Yugi's skylights. It was a puzzle and one Yugi had never solved ever since finding it in the basement eight years ago. It wasn't for lack of trying, as he had spent countless night trying to hook one piece up with another. And he didn't dare give up because this puzzle was his treasure and _not _because it seemed to be made entirely of gold.

In a way, it felt like it called to Yugi. It was an as though it were an itch he couldn't scratch and even if he tried pushing the puzzle from his mind, it always lingered in the back, waiting for him to return for it.

Concentration was aligned heavily on Yugi's face as he sat down and nimbly picked up the pieces. He _will _solve this puzzle some day. He will.

_'Maybe if I turn it like th-? No, that won't work. What if I try...? That's no good either. How about... hm, no good...'_

Yugi was entirely incognizant as the sun faded into dusk. It was teetering at the edge of nightfall when a yawn escaped past his lips and Yugi rested his head against the desk with his fingers curling around pieces of the puzzle in an almost protective hold. A faint knock sounded on his door as his mother peered her head in. "Yugi, there's din..."

She drifted off when she found her son sitting with his head resting on the desk. A sigh escaped her as she shut the door once more and shook her head. She had told him many times that he would hurt his neck sleeping like that and more than once, he had awoken in the morning rubbing his mentioned neck with a wince. And now he was missing dinner.

"I'll have to save some in the fridge for him," she muttered and went walking back to the dining room where Sugoroku was waiting.

* * *

Yugi blinked, having found himself in quite a strange place. He was in what looked to be a blue room, filled almost entirely with toys and games of the same color but with different hues. A glance around showed him that to his back was an equally strange door. Although blue like the rest of the room, it was shades darker and seemed to be made of stone with the_ Eye of Anubis_* planted firmly on it's surface. Why was that here?

A low, rumbling chuckle filled the air and Yugi whipped around to find a balding man sitting at an office desk at the center of the room. The teenager blanched, wondering how he had overlooked such a person when he stuck out so much. The man's eyes were wide and bloodshot, staring at him from over a long, curved nose with a leering grin stretched over his face. He was wearing a black suit with his white gloved fingers knitted together.

And by his side stood a woman in a dark blue military coat, the buttons adorned in gold with a V embroidered on the high collar. Both her hands were in front of her as she held a book in them, her attire completed with black stockings, blue heel straps, and her silver hair held back by a headband with a singular butterfly on it as her bangs framed her face. Her sharp, golden eyes were focused on Yugi with a nearly scary intensity that made him feel sweat bead on his brow.

"Curious?" the man spoke. Yugi nearly jumped out of his skin at how deep and... not _spooky _the man's voice was. Contrary to his bizarre appearance, he seemed quite sane and civil. "I'm afraid that the door will be remaining closed for now."

_For now,_ he had said. Yugi wasn't even sure he did want it to be opened, seeing how ominous it was.

"Who... who are you?" He glanced around the blue room once more. "Where am I?"

"Ah, of course. How rude of me. My name is Igor and by my side is Geneve. And you're in the Velvet Room."

"Velvet... Room?"

Geneve took a step forward as she spoke up. Listening to her was as though witnessing ice and fire clash with one another. Her tone was cold and harsh enough that it sent chills down Yugi's spine and yet her face had soften at his stricken expression, warming his heart at the thought that she _might _be doing it at his best interest. Whatever that was.

"Yes. Because you have signed a contract, you are able to visit the Velvet Room as a Guest. It is a space between consciousness and unconsciousness. Mind and matter. It takes the form of what best reflect your heart and as you can see, it has taken the image of your soul room."

"My soul room?"

"You will find that out at a later date." Igor leaned forward. "As of now, I am only able to give advice. You and another are the only ones who have the destiny to rid the darkness that threatens to destroy humanity. The toys and games in this room inform me of your kind innocence and intellect but I'm afraid you will need more than that to save the world."

"H-hold on! Save the _world!? _Me!?"

A familiar ringing sound made all three people within the room look up. Yugi's brows knitted together as he tried to find the source but to no avail.

"I see that's all the time we have for tonight. Igor sat back in his chair. "We will meet again soon."

"Wait! What did you mean by saving the world!?"

The room rippled around Yugi and then faded away as the ringing noise became ever louder.

Even without opening his eyelids, Yugi could feel the morning sunshine on his face. He squeezed his eyes shut even more in protest against the time before relenting. He slowly blinked his eyes open as his alarm clock rang from beside his bed.

* * *

_'Oh... that's where that noise had come from...'_

He sat back in his chair and have dimly realized that he had fallen asleep at his desk before his thoughts fell back to his dream. No, was that even a dream? It felt too vivid. Too real.

_'Destiny... Darkness...'_

Yugi sighed while he rubbed his eyes. He didn't understand any of it.

"Yugi! Yugi, wake up!"

He jumped in his seat as the door flew open. A sharp cry left him as he found himself on the floor staring at the face of his mother.

"I was already awake..." he chuckled weakly.

"If you're awake then turn off your alarm." She slammed her hand on the small clock on his nightstand, effectively silencing the machine and walked off. The teenager picked himself up off the floor and got dressed in an outfit similar to the one he had on the day before. As he pulled games from the backpack that had been discarded yesterday, he searched around the room for something else to take with him. His eyes settled on his Egyptian box.

"Eh... why not?" he asked aloud, striding over to the desk to place the golden pieces back into the container and gingerly placed it in his backpack. Then he shoved a small barrel, plastic swords, and a small wooden pirate into his bag shortly after. _Bluebeard's Attack*_ would be a great way to spend some time today.

He slung the bag over his shoulder and hurried into the hall. Yugi's stomach was gnawing at his insides, making him mentally curse at himself for falling asleep before dinner the night before. He dropped his bag at the table in order to rifle through the fridge for leftovers and stuck a portion of it in the microwave. There was enough for him to even take to school as well.

He quickly scarfed down what he could and packed his lunch then was leaving through the door with a quick "bye!" to Sugoroku, who was barely unlocking the store.

The walk to school was relatively peaceful. The birds were being exceptionally chatty today. The dream he had was currently dismissed in favor making sure that he didn't make it to school _too _early. His bullies might have arrived a little bit earlier since he managed to give them the slip yesterday. If Yugi timed everything right, he could make it to his seat and Kimiwaru, the homeroom teacher's, presence would be enough to keep them at bay.

_'Until lunch,'_ he thought somberly. After all, Yugi knew that it was only a moment of time until Jonouchi and Honda caught up to him. His luck will run out.

Kimiwaru wasn't necessarily a bad teacher. He was just creepy looking with those features that seemed to small for his face. It was truly a shame because students were too unsettled to have a study session with him one-on-one. The poor history teacher was a good man.

Not that Yugi would volunteer for a study session either. He knew that he would end up impolitely staring at Kimiwaru's too small face and wished to avoid such an offensive situation.

His morning classes slipped by with Yugi's eyes glazing over as his thoughts fell to the Bluebeard's Attack that he could be playing right now. Classes were so boring and he was itching to play a game. Fusoku, the science teacher, had gently reprimanded him for daydreaming in the midst of class. Because of Yugi's usually sweet nature, the teacher was much more kinder at bringing his attention back to class than those like Chono.

His last morning class had nothing to do so it was essentially a free period. Yugi took full advantage of it and pulled out his game. It was all wasted on him poking plastic swords into the slot, making Bluebird shoot out of the barrel, take out the swords and return the wooden figure to its container, and repeat. His fingers itched for his Millennium Puzzle but he didn't dare take it out while surrounded by other students. Yugi was kind but it didn't mean that he was an idiot.

And then finally, longer than it seemed necessary, the bell had rung and the students were eager to escape the confines of their class. The boys agreed to let the girls play basketball for once and soon the room was nearly entirely cleared out.

"Hey Yugi." Takashi lingered in the doorway with the basketball in hand. The mentioned person still hadn't moved from his desk. "Don't you want to join us instead of sitting in here alone?"

_Pop!_ Bluebird went flying as Yugi turned his attention to his fellow classmate after pushing the next sword in. "Ah, I'm fine..." His eyes drifted to the desk table. "Every team I join ends up losing..." But that wasn't his only reason.

"Alright." Takashi gave Yugi a nod of acknowledgement. Then he was gone, leaving Yugi alone.

_Finally._

A smile cross his lips as Yugi shoved the game back into his bag and pulled his treasure out instead. He never did understand the riddle on the box. _"It can be seen but you haven't seen it."_ He speculated very much that it was the puzzle itself.

A giddy feeling entered his heart as he went to pull open the lid. He'll solve it one day.

"Ha!" The box was swiped almost immediately from Yugi's grasp. A sharp gasp left his lips as he wheeled around to see Honda leering at him with the box held precariously in his hand and Jonouchi by his side. "Heheh, what are you doing alone, Yugi?"

He _knew _that his luck was going to run out. And he was so eager to work on the puzzle that he completely _forgot _about Jonouchi and Honda.

The brunette observed the box with a devious grin as he held the box up. "Huh, this must be your treasure."

"'It can be seen but you haven't seen it'," Jonouchi read. Yugi found himself getting out of his chair.

"Honda-kun, please give it back."

"I'm not sure that I want to," the bully teased.

"Honda-kun!" Yugi tried reaching the box but to no avail. Honda, seeming to want to further antagonise the teenager, tossing it into the air.

"And he passes to Jonouchi!"

Panic filled Yugi's being. They were _throwing _his treasure! "W-wait, that's valuable to me!"

Jonouchi lazily raised his hand and caught it with ease. Yugi relaxed at least a little but he still wasn't sure how to feel about the situation. On one hand, he was relieved that Jonouchi caught it. On another, they were _still _going to taunt him with it.

"It _must _be pretty valuable if you're acting like such a girl about it," Jonouchi admitted as he lightly tossed it up. His brown eyes lit up when Yugi's expression became even more desperate. "But before I even _think _about giving this back..." A troublesome grin spread across his features. "I'll teach you how to act like a man."

"How to... what?"

"I'll give you back the box if you try with all your might to get it." Jonouchi patted his own chest. "Hit me right here."

Yugi stared at Jonouchi incredulously. Surely he didn't actually _want _Yugi to hit him. He definitely didn't want to.

"Well?"

"I-I can't..."

"Come on, just a little hit."

"No! I HATE FIGHTING AND VIOLENCE!"

Jonouchi covered his ears when Yugi shouted. "Jeez, so loud... but there are no guts behind it to back it up."

"Look..." Yugi held out his hand wearily. He was use to Jonouchi's antics but certainly not with his _treasure _in the bully's hand. "Give me back my box."

Honda and Jonouchi glanced at each other. Then a sneer formed on the former's face. "Not a chance!" Jonouchi eyed the box with at least some real curiosity.

"So what's in the box anyway?" Then, as if answering his own question, "There's only one way to find out."

The panic that Yugi had felt earlier returned in full force. He was terrified of what Jonouchi might do to his treasure. It was bad enough they were playing Keep Away with it; he feared that they might actually lose one of those precious pieces. Anything but that!

"Y-you can look but please don't lose it!" Yugi's voice became higher at the bundle of stress and worry that was filling him. "It's incredibly valuable!"

"Hah! Right," he snorted as he pulled open the lid. He blinked at the contents that were inside of it. "Huh, that's dumb." He closed it back up and tossed it towards his friend. "Here, Honda."

He was prepared to catch it before a hand deftly snatched it from him.

"If it's so dumb then give it back to Yugi," the newest person, a girl, snapped at the two bullies.

"Anzu!" Yugi had called out gratefully. She had been a friend of his since elementary.

"Picking on weaker people! You guys are the dumb ones!" Anzu's glare seemed to intensify. "Now _beat it!_"

"Damn you, nosy woman." Honda and Jonouchi made a break for the door. "We'll remember this!"

Yugi was never sure _what _made those two always flee at the sight of Anzu. It could be her hardheaded personality or the fact that she's always so _confident _in herself. Either way, she had what Yugi didn't and once again, she came to the rescue.

"Well here it is..." She set the golden box back down on the desk. "Your precious item."

"Thank you, Anzu!" His gaze drifted to the door as he took a seat in his chair. "But wow, that was great! One word from you and they ran!"

She pulled a chair up and sat across from him with a soft smile. "Don't flatter me, I just saw a nice guy being taken advantage of." She jerked a thumb over to the door behind her. "I didn't want them tossing you or your treasure around."

_'Yeah, but you also think I'm weak...' _he thought melancholically. It's not like she was entirely wrong though.

"All the guys in class are just like those two," Anzu huffed. "When the boys invited the girls to play basketball, I thought that it was weird. Basketball isn't meant for looking up girls' _skirts._"

A start escaped Yugi and soon after, a crimson spread rapidly over his cheeks. He actually found it a little clever on the boys' part.

"Hey, what are you imagining...?"

Crap, Anzu was giving him a dark look. He practically stammered his answer as his heart beat rapidly against his chest. "B-basketball!"

She sighed and shook her head but relented on the subject, much to Yugi's relief. Instead, she focused on the Egyptian box. "Yugi, what's in this thing anyways?"

He was really glad that she _asked _as opposed to just opening it. A smile rose on his face.

"Well I guess I can let you see... but you have to promise to keep it a secret."

"Yeah, yeah."

He pulled off the lid of the box and his smile grew when he watched how Anzu's face lit up at the small, precious pieces. She even picked one up to get a closer look.

"Wow, they're so pretty! And they glitter like gold... What are they parts of? They're disconnected."

"It's a puzzle!" Yugi held up pieces of his own as he was equally, if not more so, excited about his items. "I never finished it so I don't know what shape it would be. In other words, it's a thing that 'can be seen but you haven't seen it'!" _'I think,'_ he didn't add.

Anzu tilted her head slightly as she too regarded the puzzle pieces curiously.

"I live in a game shop so there's all sorts of rare and unusual and exotic games for sale there. This was sitting in the basement gathering dust and I found it. Now I think of this puzzle as a keepsake from my grandpa."

"K-keepsake!?" Anzu's expression faltered for a moment, not that Yugi was actually paying attention as he had closed the lid and was still fixated on his treasure.

"This puzzle was found in Egyptian ruins!"

"Egypt...?"

"Look, see these strange symbols!" He held the box up to her. "They're hieroglyphics. And with an educated guess, I think I know what they mean too." A dreamy expression came over his face. "The person who solves this puzzle will have their wish granted! I know it! But... maybe that's too fantastic though..."

His voice drifted off when he noticed Anzu staring at him. "Why are you looking at me like that? Don't tell anyone Anzu. It's just between us... It's a secret..."

She gave an easy laugh. "I know that Yugi. Trust me."

"Yeah..." He sighed and rested his chin on the desk. Anzu blinked at the sudden change of mood. "But the puzzle is very difficult... I've been trying for eight years and still haven't completed it. Sometimes it gets me down..."

"Keep at it, Yugi." Anzu winked at him. "You'll get that wish."

He lifted his head up to stare at his childhood friend for a moment. Then a grin passed over his face. "Yeah, I'll keep at it!"

She tilted her head slightly as she regarded Yugi. "Um, what is it anyways? You're wish?"

_To have friends..._

He couldn't very well say that. Anzu's feeling might get hurt and even though they _were _friends, she was always busy so they haven't hung out in so long...

"Can't tell you," he responded, giving Anzu a wink himself so his face didn't betray his thoughts. "It's an absolutely confidential secret! Sealed forever in an ultra-tight vacuum pack!"

She chuckled at his response.

* * *

"Crap, what a nerd..." Jonouchi had his hands shoved in his pockets as he and Honda walked down the hallway. He was venting out his frustration. "And that nosy woman! Who's picking on weaker people!?"

"Jonouchi..." Honda huffed. "That would be us."

Neither of them noticed the imposing figure standing in their way until they actually walked _into _it. Both of the boys took a step back, Honda becoming more uneasy than his partner. They had ran into the hall monitor Tetsu Ushio, a man larger and more powerful than them. He wasn't even sure that Jonouchi could beat him in a fight.

"What do you mean, 'picking on'?" Ushio demanded, glowering down at the two of them.

Jonouchi grit his teeth. First Mazaki and now this guy!? "I might've meant you," he growled. "Move it-"

Honda clamped a hand around Jonouchi's mouth as he grinned at the obelisk standing before them. Now he had to save their skins. "We didn't mean anything!"

"Hmph, bullying is wrong," Ushio stated, ignoring the strings of _"mmph!"_ Jonouchi was releasing.

"Yeah, that's true! That's very, very true!"

The imposing figure turned and went walking back from wence it came. When he was out of earshot, Honda released Jonouchi and sighed in relief. "He's gone... He's gone..."

Jonouchi gasped for air and glared at the very person who was depriving him from it. "You jerk, that hurt!"

"Heh... that was scary."

Jonouchi whipped away from Hinda to shake his fist and the hall monitor's retreating back. "Ushioooo! Someday, I'll fight you!"

Honda sighed at his best friend. "Well, now there's nothing to do..."

"Oh yeah," Jonouchi smiled. "I have something."

"Oh? What is it?"

He held out a golden piece from Yugi's box. An eye of some sort. "While I was looking at Yugi's treasure, I secretly took this. I don't think he'll notice that it's gone but that puzzle is useless without this!" He curled his fingers around the eye with a mean smirk. "Now his riddle will become 'it is a treasure but a treasure that is _lost_'."

"Wow, Jonouchi-kun! That's slick!" Honda laughed.

"And as for this thing..." He hurled it out the window of the school. "Take that!" Jonouchi watched as the puzzle piece went sailing through the air only to fall with a satisfying splash into the school pool. "Bahahaha! That felt good!"

_'Tch, this "treasure" stuff...'_ Jonouchi thought as he watched where the puzzle had gone. _'It's more like a rotten jerk__! That's the sort of stuff that makes me sick.'_

He turned away from the window and shoved his hands back into his pockets. "C'mon, let's go."

* * *

The school bell toiled, informing the school body that it was time to go home. Yugi didn't need to worry about Jonouchi and Honda because they probably got their fill of him for today. Besides, he wanted to go home and try finishing his puzzle again. He barely made it past the school gates when a voice made him stop.

"You're Yugi-kun, right?"

Yugi turned around curiously to see who had called his name. A person he didn't recognize was standing there, the behemoth practically towering over Yugi. He knew he was short for his age and probably would barely even make it close to average height when he grew but he never felt so small next to a person before. The look in the person's dark eyes seemed to look at him as though he were nothing more than something to squash. Remembering that the person had asked a question, he slowly tried to relax. "Yes..."

"I'm Ushio, from the morals committee. I'd like to ask you some questions... Like, have you been picked on by anyone in your class?"

Yugi blinked in surprise as his thoughts flickered to Honda and Jonouchi. Yugi may be small and weak though but he certainly wasn't a snitch.

"Eh... no, I haven't..." He tried keeping his voice even but it faltered and became meek underneath the intense gaze of Ushio.

"For the good of the school, you should tell the truth. I _am _going to investigate this."

"Huh?"

"Heheh, _relax _Yugi." Ushio leaned down and rested his too large hands on the boy's shoulders. The smile that rose on the giant's face might have been a try at being comforting but all it did was cause a bad feeling to stir in Yugi's gut. "From now on, consider me your paid bodyguard."

"Eh, um..." he took a step back and Ushio, catching this, removed his hands from a nervous Yugi's shoulders. "I-I don't really need that... Thanks anyways... Um, bye..."

Even as Yugi turned and walked off, he could feel Ushio's intense, scary eyes trailing after him.

"What's up with him..." he muttered to himself. Then he shrugged it from his mind. It's probably nothing.

When Yugi reached the store/home, he was surprised to find Anzu waiting for him.

"It's been a while since I came over to play," she laughed. Yugi, being the polite gentleman, opened the door and waited for her to go in first. He followed after and as soon as the door shut-

"Welcome!" Sugoroku shouted.

"_Gyaaaah_!" Anzu had practically jumped a foot in the air.

"Ah, it's Anzu-chan!" Sugoroku greeted. "That's cruel, seeing my face and screaming..."

"Just a second," she hissed at Yugi. Then she directed her words towards his grandfather. "H-hello... A while ago, Yugi had said that you had given him a keepsake..."

The mentioned teenager blinked as he regarded Anzu's words. A small bubble of laughter escaped him at how his friend had taken his words. "I meant that _someday _it will be a keepsake."

"You're _killing _me!?" Sugoroku shrieked.

"N-no, grandpa. Nothing like that."

Sugoroku _hmphed _and crossed his arms, as though his didn't believe his grandson. He then pushed it aside to look over at Anzu. "Anyways, it's been a while since I saw you here. You've grown, especially in your chest. And you keep getting bigger!"

A nervous chuckle escaped Anzu as she regarded Sugoroku uncertainly.

"Anzu, I'll be taking the puzzle up to my room," he informed her as he headed towards the stairs. "Grandpa, can you make tea?"

"Just a second Yugi." Sugoroku followed him to the stairs. "Why don't you give up on that puzzle?"

Yugi, having been more than halfway up, paused to give his grandfather an exasperated look. He could sense where this was going. "Why do you say that..?"

"It has to take a _very _intellectual person to put the Millennium Puzzle together. You don't stand a chance."

_'Thanks for the vote of confidence...'_

"And we're not even talking about it's varied history."

Yugi was about to brush him off but Anzu didn't know of his grandfather's attempts to throw off his determination of finishing the puzzle. So he wasn't that surprised when she asked about it's history.

"The Millennium Puzzle was found in the early 1900's," Sugoroku went, more than happy to entertain her. "An English archeological team took it from the burial tomb of a Pharaoh! And after that, everyone involved began to die in mysterious ways... And they say that the last one was screaming something about a 'Shadow Game'."

"Yugi..." Anzu glanced over at her friend. "That puzzle sounds dangerous..."

But he was not to be deterred. After all, Yugi _loved _games. "What's a 'Shadow Game'? Now I'm curious!"

"The symbols engraved on this box..." Sugoroku pointed at the hieroglyphics. "_'To the one who controls me, I will give dark wisdom and strength'_."

"I knew it!" Delight filled Yugi as his thoughts about the hieroglyphics meanings were confirmed. "My wish will come true! I'm so excited; I will _definitely _complete the puzzle!"

"Hey, give that back!" Sugoroku ran up the stairs after his grandson. It prompted Yugi to run for the safety of his room. "It'll sell for a lot!"

"Grandpa, no! I'm not letting you sell it!"

Yugi went into the room and slammed the door shut in his grandfather's face. Sugoroku tried turning the handle. "Give it back!"

"No!" He twisted the lock on the knob and rested his back against the door as he held the box protectively against his chest, as if Sugoroku was actually going to break down the door. "This is my keepsake of you!"

"I knew it! You _are _going to kill me!"

"..." Anzu wasn't quite sure what to do about the situation.

* * *

The next day and Yugi was trying so hard to stay awake in class. After killing time with Anzu, he had stayed up most of the night working on his puzzle. He actually made some progress this time but whether or not he had put the pieces in the right place was the bigger question.

He had also learned his lesson and wasn't going to bring the puzzle to school any more. At least, not while it was unfinished.

When lunch rolled around, he was dimly aware of the fact that neither Jonouchi nor Honda had even bothered messing with him today. It was certainly a strange occurrence but not one he minded so he brushed the thought away. He would rather use the time to sleep...

"Yugi-kun!"

Yugi pried his eyes open with some difficulty to find Ushio standing in the doorframe. "Mm?"

"Would you come with me for a moment? I want to show you something."

Yugi furrowed his brows but complied anyways, getting out of his seat and following Ushio out into the hallway. The tall man led him outside and around to the side of the school where not many people visited. The entire time, Ushio hadn't said one word.

"Ushio-san..." he was getting a bad feeling about this. What did you want to show me...?"

"Heh..." The tall man had a rather smug tone. "Just keep following... I'm sure you'll like this."

They kept going a little further despite every instinct in Yugi's body screamed no. Then Ushio came to a stop. "Here, check it out, Yugi-kun."

Curious, Yugi peered around Ushio's form that was blocking whatever he wanted to show off from sight. To his horror, Jonouchi and Hinda were laying against the walls, covered entirely in bruises and bleeding from where the skin had been broken.

"Jonouchi-kun! Honda-kun!" Yugi knelt in front of them. "Who did this!?"

"Yugi-kun, I told you... Consider me your paid bodyguard! It's my duty to punish these guys. They're just bullies."

"B-but Ushio-san! This is too cruel!" He faced his bullies. "Are you alright, Jonouchi-kun? Honda-kun?"

"Yugi, you brat..." Jonouchi grunted. "I knew you were behind this..."

"What? No, I'm not! I would never ask for this-!"

"Move, Yugi!" Ushio grabbed him and tossed him to the side as though he weighed next to nothing. "I'm not done punishing them." He kicked Jonouchi hard in the chest. Yugi wasn't even sure when he got up but he stood between Ushio and his bullies, determined to protect them from their attacker. As he had said before, he didn't _like _violence. And Jonouchi and Honda might have picked on Yugi but they never _hit _him. "Stop it!"

"Why are you protecting these jerks, Yugi? You're a weird guy... This is your chance to get revenge! Hit them, kick them! I'll make sure no one interrupts."

"I CAN'T DO THAT TO MY FRIENDS!"

"Really? Most people hate those that bully them. You're a pretty nice guy, calling these punks your friends... Masochist..."

"Th-they weren't bullying me... This punishment is no good..."

"Well, alright. By the way..." A scary smirk that surpassed even Jonouchi's mean ones grew on his face. "I'll take my payment now. My bodyguard fee is _two-hundred thousand yen_*!"

"What!?"

"Heheh, for two-hundred thousand yen, you can hit them as much as you'd like. You won't be distracted either but I never said it would be cheap."

But... Yugi had never agreed to a bodyguard in the first place...

"Well?" Yugi flinched. He must have hesitated for too long. "Maybe you're unsatisfied because I didn't hit them enough."

Shock filled Yugi's system at the mere thought of them sustaining any more damage. They were injured pretty badly. "You've done more than enough! If anyone's going to beat them up any more, it's going to be _me_!"

"And now _you _decided to beat them up. Fine, have it your way." Yugi gasped sharply when Ushio grabbed him by the front of his jacket and held his small body off the floor. "I'll leave a bodily reminder to pay me. It's in my nature to hate bullying but what I'm about to do isn't bullying. It's a _warning._"

Ushio's fist met Yugi's face. A cry escaped him as his vision faltered and pain lit up. Then he felt himself falling to the ground and priefly caught sight of Ushio's knee rushing to meet him. More pain lit up but this time where his chest was. And the hits kept raining down but he didn't dare make another sound. Not to give Ushio any more satisfaction. All he could do was endure. Endure for Jonouchi and Honda. Because... of his wish.

He had wished for friends. Friends that wouldn't betray him and that he would never betray as well. No matter what. It was a wish... and a promise.

Ushio gave one last kick to Yugi's gut. The teenager coughed as he held his abdomen, barely even able to register Ushio's words as he spoke.

"I guess that's enough. Until tomorrow when you give me my money. Remember Yugi, two-hundred thousand yen." He took a step back to admire his work. Yugi had thought that he had felt small yesterday but compared to then, he felt microscopic. "Believe me, this pain is nothing. I can teach you the _true _meaning of pain... with this." He pulled out a knife as he allowed Yugi to see, the dark look in his eyes growing even more. Then he walked off laughing.

Ushio looked more evil by the second...

* * *

After school, Yugi made it back home. His mother had caught sight of the marks on his face and panicked but he tried to ease her worries by telling her that he had fallen down the stairs. Then she went on a lecture about him being more careful because those stairs could have killed him. Sugoroku didn't seem very convinced but Yugi was happy that he let it slide. It was bad enough telling a lie, he didn't want to have to put in any more effort than he had to to make it believable.

He sat in his room afterwards and looked to see how much many he had.

"_One-thousand, six-hundred fifty-six_*..."

1,656 out of 200,000. He had nowhere _near _enough. "Where would I even get that kind of money..."

His fingers fiddled with the puzzle as he thought about the issue. If he didn't pay up tomorrow, he would just get beaten again. And the knife Ushio had actually worried him.

The clicking from the puzzle as the pieces connected drew him out of his thoughts. He dropped it back on his desk with a frown. "Why am I working on the puzzle? It's no time for that..."

Then he blinked as he stared at the golden object that was beginning to take form. He was just putting the pieces together. In their _rightful _spots! He picked up the puzzle again and started working on it. Maybe this time...

"So if I half-rotate this part..." _Click._ "I see, now this piece would fit." _Click._ "And then this one..." _Click._

It was truly a miracle that he was easily getting through the puzzle despite the fact that today had been pretty bad. It's almost as though his treasure agreed and wanted more than anything to help get his mind off of the situation. One Yugi was much too happy to oblige.

And then, _finally, _the puzzle was nearly finished. It had taken the shape of a golden upside-down pyramid that hung from a rope. All he had to do now was insert the last piece!

Yugi's fingers reached into the box for the last one. He blinked when he couldn't find another one to grab. Turning his amethyst eyes over to the box, he stared. It was completely empty.

"It's not here." Disbelief colored his voice as he stood up abruptly from his seat. "The last piece is gone!"

No, he had to of dropped it somewhere, right? Yugi searched on his desk, under his desk, under his bed, inside his drawers, and yet couldn't find anything. "No, no, no, no. It can't be. It... _It's not here!_"

If it wasn't here then his wish... _It will never come true._

Yugi sat at his desk in front of the puzzle for a long time. He heard his bedroom door open but didn't look to check. He had an idea on who it was anyways.

"Hoho, amazing!" Sure enough, Sugoroku had spoken as he walked to the side of the desk. "The puzzle is finished!"

"No, grandpa... In the end, I couldn't finish the puzzle..."

"Hoho, I wonder..." Sugoroku's gaze drifted to his grandson as he held the nearly complete puzzle in his hands. "Yugi, you've worked on this Millennium Puzzle for eight years, putting your hopes and dreams into it. You should have more faith!"

"..."

"If you do, then your wish would definitely come true." He held out a fist and then uncurled his fingers to show that the last piece of the puzzle was resting in his palm.

"G-grandpa!" Yugi launched himself at Sugoroku and hugged him. "Thank you so much! You found it!"

"Yugi, I'm not the one who found it."

"Eh...?"

He unlatched himself from his frandfather as Sugoroku explained. "A while ago, one of your friends arrived at the shop. He asked me to give that to you! His clothes were wet, maybe from being out in the rain..."

_'I wonder who it was...' _Yugi looked down at the puzzle piece after Sugoroku handed both that and the incomplete Millennium Puzzle back. _'Whoever you are, thank you...'_

He heard his grandfather moving about his room before he pulled the door open. "Goodnight, Yugi."

"Thanks, grandpa!" Yugi peered back to smile at him. "Goodnight!"

The door had closed, leaving Yugi alone with his puzzle. His heart thrummed in his chest. Finally, after eight years, the Millennium Puzzle will be completed. He held the piece up and, thinking very hard about his wish, inserted the last part into the Millennium Puzzle. There was a flash of gold and then...

_Darkness._

* * *

* The _Eye of Wadjet_ is an Ancient Egyptian symbol that belongs to the Snake Goddess Wadjet. She was originally a local goddess of the city of Dep. It was said that she was the protector of Lower Egypt then, upon unification with Upper Egypt, joint protector and patron of all Egyptian goddesses of Upper Egypt. She is the protector of kings and women in childbirth, having been a nurse to Horus and protected him with Isis from Set when they took refuge in the Nile Delta. She is also closely associated with the Eye of Ra.

* The _Eye of Anubis _isn't an real symbol. It's an incomplete Wadjet symbol that's on the remaining Millennium Items save for the Puzzle. Anubis is often mistaken as the God of the Dead when that is in fact, untrue (that belongs to Osiris). He is the God of Embalming, Protector of Tombs, Guider of Souls, and Guardian of the Scales.

*_Bluebeard's Attack _is based off of the real game, Pop-up Pirate.

*_¥200,000 _is equal to $1,842.19 or €1627.74.

*_1,656 _is equal to $15.26 or €13.48.

* * *

_**If you want more, please don't forget to vote or comment.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Darkness in ****Their**** Eyes**

It was midnight when Ushio arrived at the school. The school looked eerie and intimidating at such a time but he didn't pay it much mind. Ushio was more than capable at taking care of himself. No, right now his biggest concern was Yugi. The midget had wanted to meet him here in the dead of night.

His dark eyes glanced around before finally falling onto the very person he was meeting. Yugi was sitting down casually as he cradled something gold in his hands. Before Ushio could even focus on it, the smaller boy spoke up.

"It's nice of you to come, Ushio-san."

Chills moved down Ushio's spine. Something about Yugi was... different compared to before. The way he stood radiated confidence and gave an impression of him being taller. It seemed dignified even, as opposed to the timidity most had come to enunciate him with. The teenager's gaze swept over Yugi's unique and erratic hair down to the boots that completed his black and buckle-clad outfit. Ushio could have sworn that Yugi had less gold in his hair and his wide, amethyst eyes couldn't be anything like these sharp, garnet ones. Even his voice was stronger with the fortitude he seemed to have scrounged up from who-knows-where.

Ushio shrugged it off. This was Yugi, there was no one else it _could _be. And he wasn't going to let some weakling _scare _him.

"I gotta hand it to you," he began with a grin. "You decided to pay up! That lightens my mood. Don't know why you're wearing a costume but whatever." He held his hand out. "Cough it up already! The money!"

"I have it right here." Yugi held up the bills with a smirk. "However, I seemed to have brought four-hundred thousand by mistake."

_F-four-hundred..._

"But there is a catch." The smirk that was on Yugi's face had become sly as he noticed the hungry look in Ushio's eyes. "Just paying you would be rather boring so we're going to play a game."

"A game?"

"Yes, but it isn't just any game. It's a Shadow Game." Yugi rested his hands in his pockets. "What about it? If you win, you get even _more _then two-hundred thousand yen. Not a bad trade, don't you think?"

"Interesting..."

"To play the game, we only need one tool." Yugi pointed at him. "The knife you're hiding, Ushio-san."

"Hm..." Ushio pulled out the knife and handed it over. If this new Yugi decided to attack, he'd be overpowered by the taller male in no time. Ushio really didn't get it though, the money and the knife? What sort of game was this guy cooking up?

"These are the rules." Yugi demonstrated by putting the stack of money on the back of one of his hands and held the knife with the other. "The players take turns placing money on top of their hand, and then stab the money with the knife. All the money on the knife goes to that player, and the opponent takes their turn with the remainder." He set them back down. "The game will end when there are no more bills left and the one with the most money at the end is the winner. Also..." Yugi shot him a look. "If you stab your hand then you automatically lose the game and give all of your winnings to the your opponent. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

Ushio chuckled at the sheer guts this kid had as he nodded in turn. He wondered though if it was possible if he met the wrong Yugi. _Is _this even Yugi?

"One more thing... If you lose or break a rule, you will recieve a _Penalty Game*_."

"Then let's get playing," Ushio stated. He brushed off Yugi's warnings without much thought. He'll win no matter what. This game was easy.

A start escaped Ushio as something dark rose from the ground. It twisted and writhed as though it were living and began engulfing both him and Yugi. "Wha–!?"

"It's a Shadow Game, Ushio-san." Yugi looked completely unconcerned by the dropping in temperature. Even as the dark aura being emitted from this _thing _was raising the hair on the back of Ushio's neck and bringing goosebumps onto his arms; the smirking expression on Yugi's face did not change.

Maybe... Maybe he _did _meet the wrong Yugi.

"Don't think that you can get out of this. You agreed to it and the shadows don't approve when a Shadow Game is disrupted. Neither one of us are allowed to leave until there is a winner." He crossed his arms as a smug expression settled over his face. "Now, who's first?"

A quick game of rock-paper-scissors and Yugi was the first to go.

"It looks like I'm up." Yugi placed the money on the back of his hand and grabbed the knife. Almost instantly, a tall and dark form rose behind him and clamped a hand around his wrist. It seemed perfectly justifiable to Ushio that he would take a step back as he gaped at the shadowed figure.

"W-what is that!?"

"Hm?" Yugi looked up from the game to see Ushio staring behind him in horror. He didn't seem _bothered _by the hand on his wrist. "Oh, that? Think nothing of it; they will neither help nor hinder us. They're here to ensure that we do not fake our way out of this. Although I _am _curious to see what form _yours _takes."

He immediately turned around to see if there was a tall, shadowed figure behind him. He relaxed a bit when he saw that there wasn't. That midget was just yanking his chain.

Grumbling under his breath, Ushio stood in front of the game across from his opponent. If what he said was true, then he had no choice but to play.

Yugi rested the tip of the knife in the center of the first bill. Concentration formed on his face as he forced the knife through. Ushio waited in anticipation; for either his turn or for Yugi to actually stab himself. Perspiration actually decorated the shorter teenager's brow as he tried to shove the knife through the wad of bills while ignoring the other hand that clung to his. Finally, he held up the knife and a few bills were attached to the blade.

"Less than ten bills," he hummed, although he did not sound particularly disappointing like Ushio had expected. "I had tried to use a lot of strength but not much had stuck..." He past the knife to the larger male with the blade held in his fingers. "It's your move."

Ushio placed the money on his hand and took the knife. It _looked _easy enough. He brought held the knife just above the center. Almost as soon as the tip touched the first bill, a hand clung to his own wrist.

Ushio jumped when contact was made. It was cold and clammy, as though it had been submerged in ice cold water for a long time. His breathing amplified in his ears as his eyes darted to the hand connected to him. It was a sickly gray with four knobbly digits ending with piercing black talons that easily succumbed his wrist and overlapped it's own digits. He could hear the rasping air as it blew warmth into his ear. And to make matters worse, three other hands made their appearance around him, two seeming to provide some sort of support as the claws dug into the table, and one curling almost possessively towards the bills. Wanting.

"I see, so _that's _what your true self looks like. It's as corrupted as I imagined."

_'__True self... What is he talking about? This thing?'_

A part of Ushio wanted to look around and see this thing. To know what is considered his true self. On the other hand, he was terrified. Especially when a forked tongue– no, _two _forked tongues could be seen dancing in his peripheral vision.

_"Money..."_ It rasped, it's gravelly voice making him shudder in disgust. _"Money money money...!"_

"Go ahead and play, Ushio-san. Be careful though, for if you get too greedy, you will use too much strength and stab all the way through. The point of this game is to _control _your greed–!"

"_Shut the hell up_," Ushio snapped. His eyes widened when the monster's voice, croaky and deep, hissed in unison with his own. And yet Yugi was _still _smug.

"Let's get back to the game, shall we? It's still your turn."

He grit his teeth and looked down at the money. All he had to do was get as much bills as possible and win this stupid game. It was simple. Easy. And yet, he was hesitating because he didn't want to stab his hand.

_"Moneymoneymoneymon–" _went the monster.

He stabbed hard enough that the money nearly wrinkle into wads and pulled the knife away. He may have been sweating as well but at the moment, he was more focused on other things.

"Hahaha! Check it out!" Ushio ignored the monster as it let out disgusting huffs of laughter. True to Yugi's word, that _thing _did not help or hinder him at all. It's almost as though it wasn't there. "I have more than a hundred thousand! And look at my hand, not even a scratch! Using more strength is fine!"

Neither Ushio or the monster noticed the flash of knowledge darting through Yugi's garnet eyes as his smirk, which had slackened in interest of watching his opponent, came back in full force. "Yes, but as the game progresses, it will become harder and harder to control your strength."

A few more passes between the two of them confirmed what Ushio had thought earlier. This game _wasn't _hard. And all this money would be his.

_"Mine! Mine! Mine!" _the monster crowed, and this time Ushio paid it no mind. His mind and the monster's were in sync. Yugi passed over the knife as he now owned a couple more crisp bills. Ushio took it with glee and held the knife up. All he had to do now was take it easy and he'd wi–

_'Why... why can't I relax my hand!?'_

The sweat that had beaded on Ushio's face started dripping as he strained to even try forcing his grip to slacken. Despite his attempts, his hand was iron-clad as it held onto the knife. If he doesn't relax soon, he'll lose the money and stab his hand.

The monster's fingers that loitered around the bills rose and wrapped around it's other digits. Ushio could feel more force apply to _his _grip as well. What the hell!?

"That monster is your _true _self," Yugi reminded him. "It does not help nor hinder but it does make sure that you use all your strength if you cannot control your greed. And right now, that seems to be the case."

The teenager clenched his jaw. He might not get the money without stabbing his hand but there is one _other _thing he could do. And that will be to _attack Yugi!_

Ushio swung the blade downwards onto Yugi. All he caught was a grin as the midget hopped out of the way. Ushio blinked when he noticed an eye _glowing_ on Yugi's _head._ He had to be imagining this, right? It's all just one big, bad dream.

"Just as I thought, you couldn't follow the rules." Yugi's tone was condescending. "This eye can see nothing but _what is_ _in your heart._ And you, Ushio-san, are nothing more than a greedy bully who had hurt my friends and tried to steal money from myself." He pointed directly at Ushio. "Penalty Game: _Mercy of Mammon*!_"

And just like that, the shadows surrounding them had disappeared. Not that Ushio could see it. The world he was seeing became full of money. Coins and bills filled his sight and for a moment, he thought that he was in heaven.

"Oh wow! Money!" He reached out to grab them. "Hahaha! Money money money money!"

_"My... moneeeey."_

A loud _thud _sounded behind Ushio. He froze and turned around, the money that floated in the air being temporarily forgotten. His eyes widened with horror when he saw a monster bigger than him _glaring _at at him. Ushio could tell by the gray skin and taloned fingers that _this _was the creature that was once behind him. And it looked awful.

It's large head took up a quarter of it's body. Needle-like were upturned in an ever present grin as it's pale eyes lacked pupils of any kind as it stared at him. Black horns protruded from the skull and curved upwards as yet another face was placed in between it's brows with a smaller set of horn escaping its own. It's body, also thin but covered in muscle, had three more faces on it's chest and one more between the legs as all _six _of it's arms clung to countless bills from where it balanced precariously from it's two feet. It's two forked tongued flickered as it released a furious hiss before lunging at Ushio with frightning speed. One hand latched around the throat while the other held his limbs before he could even do anything. All he could do was flinch when the monster's warm, reeking breath met his face.

_"Don't. Touch. My. Money!"_

The next thing Ushio knew, his body was being ripped apart.

Meanwhile, Yugi was watching as Ushio screamed behind him as the hallucination happened in his mind. "Let's hope that this will banish the darkness in your heart, Ushio-san. Greed is a very unbecoming sin to fall into so perhaps this can teach you to be generous and fair."

He stepped away from his senior as he walked to the school entrance. "Now I should return the money..."

* * *

Yugi yawned as he walked onto the school campus. There was a big commotion happening near the entrance but he couldn't find it in him to go look, instead heading inside the school building. He couldn't remember having ever fallen asleep last night, having woken up to find himself in bed for the first time this week. Usually he was always so busy working on his treasure and all he could remember was placing the last piece of the puzzle into it's empty slot. He was even wearing the choker he had once bought but never actually had the guts to wear it out in public. Now that it was on, he didn't want to work on taking it off.

_'The Puzzle,' _he thought with a wide grin. He had finally completed it after eight years. All that frustration and perseverance were worth it. He smiled delightfully to himself.

"Hey, Yugi."

He blinked, finding Jonouchi lounging around the corner with his arms crossed as bandages and bruises littered his face.

"Jonouchi-kun!"

"How are your injuries?"

"Fine..." Jonouchi was actually asking a sincere question? "How about you?"

"I feel fine. Speaking of which..." Yugi furrowed his brows. "I also brought a treasure today. Want to see it?"

"Yeah!"

"Haha, sorry. My treasure's _'is in plain sight but you can't see it'_."

_'What's that mean?'_ Yugi wondered. Seeing the puzzled expression on his face, Jonouchi chuckled.

"It's _Yujo*_! Yugi and Jonouchi are visible but our friendship is _invisible._"

Yugi stared at Jonouchi as his mind raced. Jonouchi considered him a friend? After all those years of teasing?

A smile overcame Yugi's face as he felt that his eyes were beginning to tear up. His body was still sore from the beating he had gotten yesterday but this had to be the best day of his life. "Yeah!"

Jonouchi's cheeks flushed as embarrassment covered his face. "C'mon, we gotta get to class!"

And with that warning, he began racing down the hall. Yugi stared as one of Jonouchi's shoes slipped off his feet and landed on the floor. He picked it up and chased after his classmate as he held the shoe up as though it were a banner to their friendship.

"Hey, Jonouchi-kun! You dropped your shoe!"

"Gah! Dammit!"

* * *

Yugi and Jonouchi were walking to school. The chatter of other students as they spoke to their friends filled the air and they were no different.

"J-Jonouchi..." Yugi's cheeks were tinged with pink as he clutched the straps of his backpack. "Did you see the video?"

"Huh? Oh, that. Well I squinted but..." To prove his point, he narrowed his eyes into slits before growling in frustration. "I couldn't see the important stuff! The blur got in the way!"

"Oh..."

"You want to watch it? I can lend it to you some time."

"Eh? Y-yes!" The blush on Yugi's face spread even further.

Both paused when they noticed a van sitting in front of the school with _Z TV_ imprinted on the side.

"Huh, there's a television van parked outside the school gate," Jonouchi mused. "But why...?"

"Maybe a celebrity or a super famous idol is coming!" Yugi exclaimed excitedly. Honestly, it was the only thing he could think of. Jonouchi had on a huge grin.

"Yeah! That must be it, Yugi!"

Smiling as well, the shorter teenager approached the van. "I'll take a look."

"Trying to catch an idol?"

Jonouchi's joke fell on deaf ears as Yugi tried to peer in. He couldn't see a thing through the glass. "Hey, Jonouchi! I think it's a one-way window, I can't see anything!"

From inside the van, a camera flashed and a set of eyes watched as Yugi and Jonouchi retreated into the school, excited with the prospect of meeting an idol.

"That face..." The person chuckled. "He'll be the _star_ of my next project!"

* * *

An attractive woman stood in front of the camera with a microphone in hand and a polite smile on her face. "Good morning, everyone! It's time for the morning show, 'Survival Morning'. Today, our camera will get the exclusive scoop. Get ready for a flashback to your school days." She motioned to the school behind her. "Now the school behind us has a serious problem with bullying... After this, Reporter-san will go to the bullying scene."

"Cut! Wrap it up," the director ordered. He smirked to himself as he watched the newswoman from his chair. "Very sexy." He turned to face the pimply face wash-up that was holding the camera beside him. That loser could definitely pass for a teenager. Heck, he probably was. "Assistant director, come here."

"Sir?"

The director handed him a photo. "Find this schoolkid and bring him here."

The assistant grabbed the photo puffed with amusement. "Yeah, this kid sure looks bullied. What a sap."

"For this project, he's the perfect star," the director stated. "Beat the kid up at the specified place and we'll catch it on camera. Easy as pie." He grinned. "The viewers requested a documentary on violence so the network figures that it is sure to boost ratings."

"Um... is it really alright to film people getting beaten up?"

"Heh, you still don't get it..." the director ran his hand over his goatee. "How many years have you been in this business?"

"Half a year."

"From now on, _you'll _be my apprentice."

A quizzical look appeared over the assistant's face.

"And you will be filling the role of a bully in _front _of the camera."

Meanwhile, in class 1-B, Jonouchi and Yugi had voiced their thoughts to Anzu.

"An _idol,_" she repeated in disbelief.

"Sure is." Jonouchi was sitting lazily on the desk. "And the evidence is that TV van parked outside the school gate. Tell her, Yuge."

"W-well yeah..."

"If that were true, then someone would have seen this idol and I haven't heard anything about it."

"Moron, she's probably hiding. I'd say that she's probably disguised as a student! But I'm going to get her alone and _unmask _her."

"J-Jonouchi-kun," Yugi began, trying to placate his laughing friend. "That's... You shouldn't say that so loudly..."

"But think, Yugi! I can make a killing photo of her!"

"That's a _crime_!" Anzu snapped as she jabbed a finger at Jonouchi. "They'd throw the book at you!"

"There's no penalty for _stripping_!" Jonouchi shouted back in an equally loud voice. Both were immune to the stares directed their way. And Yugi just let it happen as he rested his hands behind his head as he tried to puzzle out the TV van. Anzu _did _have some points...

The bell rang and Jonouchi and Yugi walked side-by-side, both lost in thought about the TV van.

"Tch, Anzu doesn't know anything," Jonouchi began. "Yugi, let's go find that idol!"

"Um..." He really did want to believe that there was one. "Maybe the TV van really _is _here to cover something else..."

"Not you too!" Jonouchi shot him a betrayed look before stomping off with a _hmph._ "Fine, forget you. I'll search by myself. It's not just a dream, Yugi, you just got to believe! I'll prove you wrong!"

"Ah, Jonouchi-kun..." Yugi watched him hurry down the halls with fiery determination nipping at his heels. _'I guess I said the wrong thing...'_

"Yugi-kun!"

Furrowing his brows when a voice he didn't know spoke up, Yugi turned around to find a stranger looking down at him. "Um, who are you...?"

"My name is Fujita."

"I see..." Yugi bowed his head, unable to help the timidity that came with meeting new people. Maybe if Jonouchi had stuck around, he wouldn't have seemed so shy. "N-nice to meet you."

"Yugi, have you heard?" Fujita grinned and for a moment, it was giving the diminutive teenager all kinds of bad feelings. "There's an idol in this school?"

And like that, Yugi's shyness had vanished into thin air as a hopeful smile passed over his face. "Wow, there really is?"

"That's right!" Fujita looked up and down the halls at the passing student body before dragging Yugi over to a reclusive corner and lowered his voice. "I think that the two of you will get along... so tell you what, I'll introduce you. Since the idol and I are pals and all.

"Okay!"

It almost hurt to think that he would be beating this kid up but his job was on the line. It's this Yugi brat's fault for being so naive.

"I'll tell them to meet us behind the gym. Oh, and be sure to come alone. They're a bit shy."

Yugi nodded excitedly as he watched Fujita walk off with his hands in his pockets. To think that he would be meeting an _idol._

_'Should I bring flowers...?'_

* * *

It had taken Yugi a little longer than he had expected to buy flowers. There were a bunch of different types such as roses and carnations but he had eventually settled on a bouquet of white anemone. The cashier herself had told him that white anemone symbolize sincerity and that's definitely what he wanted to show the idol.

His excited steps slowed to a walk when he noticed Fujita standing behind the gym alone with a rather impatient look on his face. Yugi speculated that it's because he took too long but where was the idol?

"About time," Fujita began brightly. Yugi suppressed a shiver as he approached and noticed the dark grin on his face.

"Fujita-san..." He made an effort of looking around. "Where's the idol?"

"Well, the truth is–" Fujita cut off as he leaned close to Yugi. "Wait, I hear someone coming?"

"Huh?" Yugi strained to hear. Maybe it _was _the idol–

_Wham!_

All thoughts drifted from Yugi's mind as Fujita's fist went and connected with his jaw. He barely even focused on the fact that the flowers had slipped from his hand as Fujita easily held up his small form with the familiar leering smile. How could he have forgotten that that same smile use to be on Jonouchi's face not too long ago?

"Moron, there isn't any idol," he sneered. He hit Yugi again. "And there never was!"

"_Hey! _Wait just a dang second!"

Before Yugi or even Fujita knew it, Jonouchi was there with a camera in hand shoving the other bully away from his smaller friend. "Yugi, you okay!?"

He took in Yugi's ruffled appearance and made note of the two red marks on his face that was already starting to bruise before turning his wrathful glare onto the one who had hurt him. Before Fujita could even _think _about getting away, the front of his shirt had been wadded up the the taller, more frighting blond's hand as his other fist was pulled back threateningly.

"You creep, what'd you do to my pal!? I'll kill you!"

"I-I didn't _want _to do it!" Fujita was sweating bullets now. This was way more than he signed up for. He didn't want to lose his job but he also didn't want to get hurt! That midget was suppose to be easy pickings. "The director made me..."

"Director!?"

"That's enough."

Both Jonouchi and Fujita turned their heads to find a sleazy man in a had smiling at them. "Fujida, I'll take over from here."

_'So even Fujita-san's name was a lie...' _Yugi thought as he forced himself to sit up.

"You..." Jonouchi let Fujida go and the male went scurrying away as quickly as possible. "You made him do this to Yugi?"

The director merely smiled in response. Growling hatefully at the man, Jonouchi then turned to help Yugi to his feet. "You okay?"

"I-I'm sorry, I wanted to see the idol," he admitted softly.

"Only because you believed the lies that these creeps were telling you."

"Cut!" As the director spoke, Jonouchi glared at him yet again. "We don't need to film this teenage drama. It's a waste of film."

"Why'd you do this!?"

The director smiled cruelly. "Yugi-kun was unlucky enough to be chosen for the role of a bullied child. It's really unfortunate, just a bad roll of the die. But thanks to him, we filmed a great episode. The audience will feel so sorry for him! Yugi-kun, you're a hero! A hero of my broadcast, that is."

"You jerk! I'm gonna kill you!" Jonouchi advanced on the man and grabbed him by the shirt just as he did Fujida. Instead of looking worried like he expected, the director released a series of chuckles.

"While you're beating me up, the cameraman will be catching it on tape!"

"What the–!?" Jonouchi's attention became focused on the camera. The director's smile widened. That was just what he was waiting for.

He raised his knee and slammed it viciously into the blond's gut. It took the air from his lungs and the teenager soon found himself on the floor.

"Jonouchi-kun!" Yugi cried as he hurried to his friend. The director watched all of this with cold eyes and a grin.

"Do you get it?" he sneered. "You can't resist the camera. With it, you're faces will be held up to the public's scorn!"

Yugi propped Jonouchi upright. His other hand clenched into a fist as he heard the director walk away with his crew as he laughed. The Millennium Puzzle around his neck flashed brightly. With the Eye of Anubis on his forehead, Yugi pushed himself to his feet and smirked darkly as he watched the director go. The man didn't even glance back.

"Haha, but don't worry! Your faces will just be blurred out."

* * *

Nightfall descended upon the Z TV broadcast station. Director _Rushiu*_ was in the parking lot as his work hours ended and fished through his pockets for his keys.

"Director, the episode you put together is staggering," his coworker claimed.

"Haha, you know me, Fumihara-kun." He pulled out his keys and began unlocking the car. "Just give them the bait and they'll always bite."

"I suppose so.. Well, goodnight."

As his coworker walked off, Rushiu pulled on the handle of his car. Hell, maybe next time they'll be able to _kill _someone on camera. Wouldn't that be a thought.

A gasp left him as his peripheral vision caught something in his mirror. Whirling around, Rushiu caught sight of that Yugi kid from earlier. He unintentionally released a breath of relief.

"It's you," he grumbled. "Dammit kid, it's in the middle of the night. Don't tell me that you want an actor's fee."

Yugi had his arms crossed as he regarded the man for a moment before speaking. "You have stumbled across the domain of my heart and mind."

Rushiu started as the space around them progressively darkened into the color of deep purple. He blinked a couple of times, wondering if he was just tired enough that his mind was playing tricks on him. "Therefore, you must become my opponent. In a Shadow Game..."

"A Shadow Game..." he repeated lamely. It sounded like something a child would cook up. And yet, peering at Yugi, Rushiu could tell that he was entirely serious about this. Something about this kid was different from before. Both in appearance and personality.

"We will play using this." He watched as Yugi pulled out a small die from within his pocket. "Since the era of Ancient Egypt, dice have been used to determine men's fates. At the time, they were called 'astragalos' and were made from the hoof bones of animals. Unlike modern dice, they crooked and rounded."

"Tch, I never said that I wanted to play. I'm going home, brat." Rushiu turned away from Yugi and back to his car. He blinked when he saw that it was gone. As a matter of fact, the entire parking lot was gone, replaced with a writhing dark wall that surrounded them on all sides. "What the hell?"

"A Shadow Game takes place within the furthest reaches of the Shadow Realm. It can be called it's own bubble, separated from the true thing."

Yugi was smirking as Rushiu whipped around to face him. There's no way this thing is real. He's ill magining this, he has to be... right?

The teenager must have taken whatever expression was on his face for something else. "There's no need to worry. I had weaved the shadows with you in mind so the atmosphere should not cause you harm. Now let us play this game of fate."

"...Alright," Rushiu grumbled. He wasn't sure about this Shadow Game– Realm –_whatever, _but if beating Yugi means that he can see his car, he'll take it. For all he knew, his mind could have concocted all this up. It seems like it's time to stop watching movies for a while.

"The rules are simple. After I roll the die, if you roll a lower number, you win. If the number is the same as my own, then you will still win. The only way that you will make it out of here unscathed is to play the game and winning." His smirk darkened. "And if I win, you will suffer a Penalty Game."

"What? That's stupid," the man growled. "How am I suppose to win with those odds!?"

Yugi didn't deign to answer. Instead, he raised his hand up and dropped the die. "Let's begin."

The die rolled with a soft _click-clack _before rolling to a stop with six dots facing upwards. Rushiu laughed at his chances. "A six! I automatically win! Haha, I don't even have to roll the die!"

"Yes, luck certainly seems to be in your favor..." Yugi smirked. "But the game isn't over yet."

The director clicked his tongue in annoyance as he knelt down and picked up the die. What was even the point if he was going to win regardless? What a stubborn guy. Just watch, Rushiu will wipe that smug look right off that brat's face.

"Have it your way," he sneered. Standing upright, Rushiu chucked the die at Yugi with all the force he could muster. "And while I'm at it, I'll leave a hole in your _face_!"

A dark purple shadow appeared behind Yugi and brought a staff down in front of him just before it hit his face. The die smacked against it harmlessly before clattering towards the floor. Rushiu didn't care to look at it or even waste a second thinking about it. He wanted _out._ To go home and sleep. For all he knew, that shadow thing was just his imagination.

"I win," he called, turning to walk away. "I rolled a one."

He was waiting for the shadows to dissipate or something when Yugi spoke up.

"Now you will recieve the Penalty Game."

The director whipped around to find the smaller teenager grinning darkly as he held onto the gold pendant around his neck. He looked down to peer at the die, having known that he rolled a one. Instead, the die had broken into two, one half having a one and the other half a _six._

"I rolled a _seven_!?" he exclaimed.

"Director-san, be ready to come across your true self! Penalty Game: _Lens of __Obscura__*_!"

Multiple hisses sounded in near sync behind Rushiu's back. He felt something move across his legs and looked down. To his horror, a reptilian tail was wrapping around him, bounding his legs together to prevent escape. Small, hard spines were protruding from the back of the tail, following the rest of it out of his line of sight. Rushiu went to turn around to see what it belonged to when a pair of hands clamped firmly on his shoulders. He cried sharply when he jerked his head back to catch a glimpse of them. The they were black and scaly, just like the tail, with six digits connected to the palms. Another pair of hands grabbed him beneath his jaw and forced him to look upright. Even then, Rushiu could feel the tail binding his legs together in a rather crushing way and fear clutched his heart in it's icy embrace as he was forced to look up at the face of whatever was behind him.

Correction, _faces._

His heart stuttered as five gray faces looked down at him, each one baring shark-like fangs at him as something black oozed from their teeth. They didn't even have lips and their eyes were a bright red with slits. There were no shoulders or a neck on it. Instead, a large pile of body mass is what supported it and where it's arms came from with scary spines covereing nearly every layer of it. Sweat covered Rushiu's face as his chest thrummed a hundred miles a minute.

_'Wh-what is this!?'_

The creature lifted one hand from his jaw and raised it to his face. Rushiu's eyes widen in terror as it lingered near one of them and traced the outline of one. Then a scream tore from his lips as it's forefinger into his eye and twisted.

He had thought that this pain was bad enough _before _this monster moved on to his other one.

"_Aaaauuuugh!_"

He tried writhing away from the monster's grip, away from the torture, but it held fast and he barely budged an inch. All he could do was cry as it happened. And cry he did, right in front of a still smirking teenager.

Then the monster was gone. Rushiu could feel is just vanish as he fell to his hands and knees. He pressed a hand to his face as he looked around wildly. An attack like that, he knew in the back of his mind, should have left him entirely blind. Instead he could still see. He's alive and he still had his sight. He brought his gaze up to where Yugi was. To glare at him, to curse. To do _something._ Instead, his eyes widened in horror.

Everything was _blurry._ He could barely tell Yugi apart from the gray background and that kid was _loaded _with color.

Raising his hand to his face, Rushiu saw that it was true for that too. In fact, he nearly had it pressed against his face and he _still _could barely see even a resemblance of it.

"Director-san, you twisted the reality in front of the camera to suit your own needs," he heard Yugi say. "Therefore, you have recieved punishment from your true self and will now see the world through it's eyes. Heh, a fitting end for a cruel man like you."

Yugi turned and walked away from the defeated man. His footsteps rang throughout the parking lot as a victorious smirk resided on his face. To be able to see the world and yet not see a single thing in it. It sounds like a very difficult thing to live with. And yet another win for himself.

* * *

"Hey, Yugi," Jonouchi grinned. He held up a VHS tape with the words _Hardon High _written on the side. "Be happy, I brought the goods."

"Yay! Thanks, Jonouchi-kun!" He tossed it to Yugi. "I'll watch it tonight!"

A hand clamped around it before it even had time to brush Yugi's fingertips. Both him and Jonouchi cried out in horror as Anzu was reading the name of the tape. "What's this interesting movie?"

"A-Anzu!" Yugi cried out. There were many times when he was glad for her knack of swiping things out of mid-air but this definitely wasn't one of them. She began walking to the school witb a smile. "You guys should let me borrow it."

"_Noooo_!" Jonouchi and Yugi howled in unison as they chased her towards the school. "Give it back, Anzu!"

* * *

_*Penalty Game _is a punishment given to whoever loses or cheats in a Shadow Game. Millennium Item holders can use it to inflict supernatural punishments.

_*Mercy of Mammon _is a vision where Ushio's true self, Mammon, punishes him repeatedly for touching his money. It represents Ushio's greed and the cost of what he would do for and with it. The hallucination is temporary.

_*Yujo _comes from the combined name of Yugi and Jonouchi. A pun on their names to show their friendship.

_*Rushiu _is the incorrectly translated Japanese name of Lucius. It was originally meant to be _Rushiusu _but I ditched the last two letters because I thought it looked funky. Lucius is the name given to the director in the English dub.

_*Lens of Obscura _is a punishment given by Rushiu's Obscura. The snake-like entity with four arms represents Rushiu's near-sightedness and twisted self, using whoever he could to get what he wanted. As a result, his punishment is taken from moments in television where scenes are blurred heavily for reasons such as hiding identities.

_**Thinking of true selves and tweaking Ushio and Rushiu's Penalty Games were a little more challenging than I thought.**_ **_Ah, and the Confidence levels will not be taking place for a good while. I have a reason as to why but I will not disclose it until the time comes._**

* * *

**_~foxchick1 - I hope that I don't disappoint!_**

**_~Guest - It will go all the way to the main storyline of the Yu-Gi-Oh! series. Which... will be a lot of chapters, but I'm prepared for it. The Millennium Items also have a unique ability that no one else will be able to mimic within the Shadow Realm and I look forward to showing it off. Buuuut that might not happen until the Battle City arc... Everyone's Persona and Arcana had already been decided and I'm curious to what other people's guesses would be regarding Yugi's Persona._**

* * *

**_Don't forget to vote and comment! Thank you very much for reading!_**


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